Corzine Assailed for Joke About Italian-Americans

By DAVID M. HALBFINGER

Published: March 30, 2000

TRENTON, March 29—
Jon S. Corzine, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate in a state where one of every four Democrats is Italian-American, acknowledged today that he had made disparaging remarks about Italians as recently as two weeks ago.

Mr. Corzine, whose ethnic background is unclear, apologized after an attack by the head of a group that opposes negative portrayals of Italians in the media. Mr. Corzine's opponent in the primary, former Gov. Jim Florio, himself Italian-American, called Mr. Corzine's remarks ''startling'' in their insensitivity.

Emanuel Alfano, chairman of the Italian-American One Voice Committee, issued a statement saying that Mr. Corzine had made offensive remarks twice, the first time at an Italian restaurant in Newark several months ago, ''where Mr. Corzine was courting the support of six prominent Italian-Americans.''

According to Mr. Alfano, when someone in the group introduced Mr. Corzine to a lawyer named David Stein, Mr. Corzine said: ''He's not Italian, is he? Oh, I guess he's your Jewish lawyer who is here to get the rest of you out of jail.''

Mr. Corzine today flatly denied making any mention of Mr. Stein's religion. And Mr. Stein said in a brief telephone interview that he did not recall what Mr. Corzine had said, though he remembered the meeting.

But no one present disputed Mr. Corzine's reference to Italian-Americans. One man who heard the remark was Sam Formosa, a past president of the New Jersey Sons of Italy. ''No one said anything at the time,'' Mr. Formosa, of West Caldwell, recalled. ''At the moment, it went over my head. I didn't want to get involved with it. But in retrospect I was very offended -- because he did it again.''

The second time was about two weeks ago, Mr. Alfano said. He said Mr. Corzine was introduced to an Italian-American man who said he was in the construction business. As Mr. Alfano related the exchange, ''Mr. Corzine turned to the Italian-American contractor and quipped, 'Oh, you make cement shoes!' ''

''Italian-Americans are a major voting block in New Jersey and Mr. Corzine isn't going to win the Italian-American vote by implying that all Italian-Americans are somehow linked to crime,'' Mr. Alfano said.

Confronted with Mr. Alfano's statement, Mr. Corzine apologized through a spokesman. ''Jon Corzine never intended to offend anyone by his remarks,'' said Steven Goldstein, one of Mr. Corzine's two campaign managers. ''He believes he shouldn't have said something like this and he apologizes for it. It's important to note that Jon never, ever, made the alleged remarks regarding the lawyer of the Jewish faith.''

But the flap threatened to disrupt Mr. Corzine's effort to introduce himself to voters through a campaign of feel-good television commercials that are being shown in New York and Philadelphia at a cost of more than $1 million a week.

''At the very least, this is distracting,'' said Cliff Zukin, director of The Star-Ledger/Eagleton-Rutgers Poll. ''It's potentially damaging, depending on what Jim Florio wants to make of it. What you don't want to do when you're introducing yourself to an electorate is be on the defensive.''

Just today, another survey, the Quinnipiac College Poll, showed Mr. Corzine narrowing former Gov. Jim Florio's lead among registered Democrats, from 57-to-22 percent a month ago to 50-to-26 percent this week.

Mr. Florio, who like Mr. Corzine was attending the Atlantic County Democratic convention, said that Mr. Corzine's remarks were disturbing. ''You can't be humorous in a derogatory way, if that's what this is intended to be,'' he said. ''It's unfortunate, and it's a fairly serious commentary on one's absence of sensitivity.''

Mr. Corzine, who grew up on an Illinois farm, may himself have some Italian roots. Reached in Atlantic City, his wife, Joanne, said that some of Mr. Corzine's relatives believe his father's family was of Italian descent, though no one is sure. Mr. Corzine's mother was of English descent, Mrs. Corzine said.

Photo: Jon S. Corzine is hoping to be Senator Corzine of New Jersey. (Laura Pedrick)